San Diego Chargers Lineman Kris Dielman Likely to Retire

By Ryan Wooden

As the world slowly comes to grips with the devastating effects of a concussion, football players still remain incredibly exposed to these vicious and traumatic brain injuries due to the violent nature of the game. Nobody knows this better than San Diego Chargers All-Pro left guard Kris Dielman.

In an Fox Sports article citing a San Diego Union-Tribune report, Dielman is likely to retire from professional football under the advice of his doctors after a concussion in 2011 that eventually caused a seizure and cost him his season. Traumatic head injuries have justifiably been receiving an increasing amount of attention, as studies have shown that NFL players are at significant long-term risk for degenerative brain conditions.

Dielman’s case is particularly damning because he suffered a seizure during a flight after team doctors had cleared him for flight. With Kris Dielman’s career likely over, it provokes a discussion about the continued implementation of safety advances and thrusts continued attention on to thinly veiled language protecting NFL players in instances of concussion.